125 tank setup

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rcherry

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Feb 6, 2011
Messages
113
Hey everybody,

I've posted here a few times and always got good info so I thought this would be the place to go. I have a 29 gallon mbuna cichlid tank and I'm planning on expanding into a 125 gallon within a couple of months. I also want to raise a baby arowana for my friends 250 g, he can't really add any juvenile fish. Plus i really want to keep an arowana at least for a while. Do you guys see any problems with the combo of mbuna and an arowana? And what's the growth rate of an arowana? Just so I know when I'll have to give it up. I have plenty of experience with aquariums my size and smaller but I've never tried a large tank, is there any advice or common problems I should know about? I definitely want to use a sump, and I hope to eventually add a good amount of plants. I haven't had any problems with my cichlids on my 29 eating any of my plants faster than they can grow. Any advice on substrate? Thanks
 
Aside from the water chemistry, the first thing that comes to mind is the growth rate. An arowana will grow much, much faster than any African cichlid, and will naturally eat anything it can fit into its large mouth.
Substrate is a matter of personal preference. I like pool filter sand because it's easier to keep clean than gravel, particularly with rocks piled up.
 
I've heard about pool filter sand, would 1lb per gallon still be appropriate? And I was going off the assumption that African arowanas must require similar chemistry to African cichlids. Could be entirely wrong. I also read that arowana only feed near the surface, and since mbuna are bottom rock dwellers I thought it would be alright. Does anybody have any experience with this setup or know of anybody who has tried it? And thanks for responding
 
Mbuna come from Lake Malawi, where the pH is generally around 8.2 or close to it. Arowana's are Amazon river fish, completely different ecosystem and water chemistry. Food is another consideration, mbuna need a veggie-based diet to keep them from getting bloat.
 
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